Guy rod grounding clamp



Oct. 20, 19.42. D. Q HUBBARD 2,299,146

GUY ROD GROUNDING CLAMP Filed May 31, 1941 if'atented oct. zo, 1942 GUY ROD GROUNDING CLAMP David C. Hubbard, Centralia, Mo., assignor to A. B. Chance Company, Centralia, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application May 31, 1941, Serial No. 395,922

(Cl. ,Z4-136) 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to guy rod grounding clamps and is particularly concerned with an improved guy rod clamping structure adapted to provide a dependable mechanical and electrical pressure contact between the guy strand or cable, and an anchor rod, where anchor rods are used as grounding rods.

The present application is related to my prior application Serial No. 328,841, filed April 10, 1940,

for Guy rod grounding clamps, now Patent No. 2,246,407, granted June 17, 1941.

The present invention relates particularly to an improved form of grounding clamp having a wedging action both between the clamp and the cable, and the clamp and the rod.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improved grounding clamp which is adapted to be wedged into that portion of the aperture of the guy rod between the cable and the lower wall of the aperture in such manner as to provide a tight electrical contact between the cable and guy rod.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved guy rod grounding clamp adapted to maintain the substantially cylindrical shape of the guy strand or cable, for the purpose of avoiding the mashing or flattening of the cable, which would otherwise tend to destroy the cable and place unnecessary strain on certain of the parts of the cable.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved clamping device for a guy rod which, by virtue of its iirm gripping action, tends to eliminate the abrasive action which occurs on the guy cable and anchor rod, due to causes such as vibrations and slackness in the guy cable.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved electrical connecting device for guy rods and guy cables which assists the usual guy cable clamps in securing the cable to the anchor rod and provides additional security and strength for the installation.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved electrical connecting device for guy rods and cables which is simple in structure, capable of economical manufacture, sturdy, and adapted to be applied with a minimum amount of labor.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved electrical connecting devices for guy rods and guy cables which include connecting members adapted to be wedged into engagement with the cable by means of a bolt or other threaded means so as to assure a good electrical connection.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the single sheet of drawings accompanying the specification:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on a plane at right angles to the surface ground and parallel to the guy rod, showing a guy rod and guy cable installation equipped with a clamping device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a guy rod grounding clamp installation embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3--3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of one of the clamping members; and

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of one of the clamping members.

The present guy rod grounding clamp is particularly adapted to be used on electrical systems employing a grounded neutral conductor that is connected electrically to the various guy wires.

This is done to increase the grounding efficiency, and naturally the insulators in the guy are eliminated. rlLhe clamp is adapted to aord a positive contact between the guy Wire and the.r

anchor rod, in order to assure a good electrical` connection and a better ground for the various;

^ which there is an installation comprising an anchor II and a guy rod I2. The anchor and the lower end of the guy rod may be of any of the various types, such as the expanding anchors, cone anchors, deadman anchors, etc., and the lower end of the guy rod may be provided with a point and a head, or may be threaded and provided with a nut. The guy rod is provided at its upper end with an enlargement or head having an eye I5 provided with a cable engaging groove The guy, consisting of a steel cable I4, preferably galvanized, has its lower end passed through the eye I5 of the anchor rod, and the free end is secured above the eye I 5 by means of any suitable type of cable clamp I6.

Referring to Figs. 2 to 5, these gures show the construction of the guy rod eye and the grounding clamp. The eye is preferably, but not necessarily, provided with a slightly convex impact surface l1 at its upper end, for engagement with the sledge, in the event the anchor rod I2 is to be driven into the earth after it has served its purpose.

The cable I4 passes through the eye I5 and is adapted to engage in a groove I8 of substantially circular cross section, which is also a substantial t about the periphery of the cable I4; that is, the radius of the groove I8 is substantially equal to that of the cable I4.

The circular groove I8 is curved about a yoke I9, which has an inner surface 20 that maybe substantially cylindrical in cross section, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to provide a curve .of Yincreased perimeter, about which the cable is bent.

The gradual curve 2E) about the yoke I9 preventsvthe cable from bending sharply and tends to prevent flattening of the cable, and it lessens the different in strain between the inner strand of the cable and the outer strands at the point of curvature. lar groove I8 and the gradual curve 20 inthe eye I5 are adapted to maintain the shape of the cable at the eye such that it has a greater strength and is adapted to perform its functions for a longer period of time under greater loads than 1 any devices which are otherwise constructed.

The two clamping members 53 may be identical in shape and construction but are reversed as to location. Each -of these clamping members comprises a cast metalmember, such as cast iron or steel, galvanized by dipping, and each is provided with a substantially Ycylindrical lower body 62 and with a cylindrical through bore 55. This through bore has a sliding and rotating lit onothe bolt 2I through the clamping members 53 when they are located on opposite sides of the eye I5 as shown in Fig. 3.

On the side opposite to the cylindrical b-ody portion 62 the clamping members are each provided with a groove 59 which is bordered on each side by the ridges 56. The groove 59 is preferably substantially circular in cross-section and formed on a radius substantially equal to the radius of the cable which it is adapted to receive. In order to provide sufficient stock for the groove 59, the body may be elongated in a vertical direction as shown in Fig. 4.

The groove 59 is preferably tilted toward the aXis of the Ybolt aperture 55 at the inner face 5d of each clamping member so that the surface of `the groove 59 forms va wedging surface for engaging the surface of the cable.

At the other three sides of the body indicated at 60, 6I and A52, the walls of the body taper inwardly so that the inner face 54 is of smaller area than the outer face. Thus, the side of the body opposite to the groove 59 and inwardly of the cylindrical portion 62 is made frusto-conical at 52. The -size of this frusto-conical portion is such in relation to the size of the eye aperture I5 that the smaller end 513 of the clamping member is adapted to be received in the eye I5 as shown in Fig. 3.

Thus, the clamping member is also provided with a wedging surface at its lower side and this wedging surface of frusto-conical form is adapted to have a rotatable engagement with the walls of the eye I5 so that the clamping members are selfaligning. The alignment is accomplished by the engagement of the walls of the groove 59 with the cable I4. In some embodiments of the .invention the groove 59 mayalso be curved longitudinally of the groove in such manner as to conform to the curvature of the cable I4 inthe eyeV I5.

Together the substantially circuwhich is of suicient length to pass The operation and installation of the grounding clamp are as follows:

The guy and guy rod and anchor are preferably installed first and secured together with a cable clamp as shown in Fig. 1 and the strain is applied to the guy and guy rod in the usual manner. Thereafter the two clamping members 53 may be oppositely disposed on opposite sides of the eye and the bolt 2l may be passed through them and provided with a spring lock washer 3'I and nut 38.

As the nut is tightened, the clamping members are caused toapproach each other and they have wedging engagement with the walls of the eye at the frusto-conical surface 52 and wedging engagement with the cable at the groove 59. This wedging engagement effects a cleaning of the engaging surfaces so as to produce an eiective electrical contact. The spring washer gives a measure of resilient clamping action and serves to prevent the nut from becoming loosened due to vibration. The clamping members may rotate on the bolt and in the eye sufciently to become aligned with each other by virtueof the engagement of the walls of the groove 53 with the cable.

One of the most important features of the invention lies in the wedging action between the cable eye and the clamping members and the cables, which assures a tight electrical contact. and this wedging action is brought about by tightening the bolt which holds the two clamping members in the eye against the cable or cables.

As the clamping members fit the'cable and as the groove IB in the eye fits the cable, the tight mechanical and electrical contact between the cable and the guy rod is provided without any danger of deforming the cable or damaging its strands or wires.

The ground clamp is adapted to provide further assurance against loose guys because it vassists the cable clamp I6. The tight electrical and mechanical contact which is provided by this grounding clamp is independent of the strain or slack in the guy wire, and a good ground is assured through the guy rod and anchor vunder all conditions.

Because of the rm gripping action between the grounding clamp cable Iand the guy rod, vibration no longer produces an abrasive action between the guy cable and the anchor rod and the galvanized covering of the guy strand and the guy rod are protected against abrasionat their points of mutual contact. The lock washer on the bolt of the grounding clamp provides a measure of resilient clamping action between the clamping members and the cable, and prevents the nut from loosening due to vibration.

While I have illustrated va preferred embodiment of myinvention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forthfbut desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure b-y Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. In an electrical connector for guy rods and cables, the combination` of a guy rod having an eye with cable means located in said eye and a bolt passing through said guy rod, said bolt having a pair of clamping members arranged on said lbolt onV opposite sides of said` guy rod `and said clamping members having wedging surfaces vadapted to engage said cable means andthreaded means on said bolt whereby the clamping means may be drawn into wedging engagement with said cable, said clamping members also having wedging surface means oppositely disposed on said clamping members with respect to said cable for engagement with that portion of the wall of the eye which is opposite to the cable.

2. A guy rod grounding cla-mp member comprising a metal body having a thrust surface on one of its sides and having a through bore eX- tending through the body from said thrust surface to the opposite side, said body being provided with a grove on one side for engaging a cable in the eye of a guy rod and with a tapered wedging surface on the opposite side for engaging the wall of the eye of a guy rod.

3. A guy rod grounding clamp member comprising a metal body having a thrust surface on one of its sides and having a through bore extending through the body from said thrust surface to the opposite side, said body being provided with a groove on one side for engaging a cable in the eye of a guy rod and with a tapered wedging surface on the opposite side for engaging the wall of the eye of a guy rod, said latter wedging surface comprising a surface of revolution whereby the clamping members may rotate on the bolt to align themselves with cable.

4. A guy rod grounding clamp member comprising a metal body having a thrust surface on one of its sides and having a through bore extending through the body from said thrust surface to the opposite side, said body being provided with a groove on one side for engaging a cable in the eye of a guy rod and with a tapered Wedging surface on the opposite side for engaging the wall of the eye of a guy rod, said latter wedging surface comprising a surface of a cone whereby the clamping members may rotate on the bolt to align themselves with cable.

5. A grounding clamp assembly comprising a guy rod having a head provided with an eye aperture having a yoke provided with a cable engaging surface, a cable passing through said eye and engaging the yoke of said eye, a pair of clamping members disposed in said eye on opposite sides thereof, and a bolt passing through said clamping members and through said eye, threaded means on said bolt for drawing said clamping members toward each other, said clamping members being of tapered formation, tapering from the outer side thereof toward the inner side, whereby they are adapted to effect a wedging contact with the cable and eye.

6. A grounding clamp assembly comprising a guy rod having a head provided with an eye aperture having a yoke provided with a cable engaging surface, a cable passing through said eye and engaging the yoke of said eye, a pair of clamping members disposed in said eye on opposite sides thereof, and a bolt passing through said clamping members and through said eye, threaded means on said bolt for drawing said clamping members toward each other, said clamping members being of tapered formation, tapering from the outer side thereof toward the inner side, whereby they are adapted to eiect a wedging Contact with the cable and eye, each of said clamping members having a groove formed on its cable-engaging side, and said groove being of substantially the same radius as the radius of the cable which it is intended to receive.

7. A grounding clamp assembly comprising a guy rod having a head provided with an eye aperture having a yoke provided with a cable engaging surface, a cable passing through said eye and engaging the yoke of said eye, a pair of clamping members disposed in said eye on opposite sides thereof, and a bolt passing through said'clamping members and through said eye, threaded means on said bolt for drawing said clamping members toward each other, said clamping members being of tapered formation, tapering from the outer side thereof toward the inner side, whereby they are adapted to effect a wedging contact with the cable and eye, said clamping members being formed with a partially frusto-conical surface engaging that portion of the eye opposite to the cable.

8. A grounding clamp assembly comprising a guy rod having a head provided with an eye aperture, a cable passing through said eye and engaging the yoke of said eye, a pair of clamping members disposed in said eye on opposite sides thereof, and a bolt passing through said clamping members and through said eye, threaded means on said bolt for drawing said clamping members toward each other, said clamping members being of tapered formation, tapering from the outer side thereof toward the inner side, whereby they are adapted to effect a wedging contact with the cable and eye, said clamping members being formed with a partially frusto-ccnical surface engaging that portion of the eye opposite to the cable, each of said clamping members having a groove formed on its cable-engaging side, and said groove being of substantially the same radius as the radius of the cable which it is intended to receive.

9, A guy rod grounding clamp assembly comprising a guy rod having a head provided with an eye, said head having a yoke provided with a groove adapted to have a substantial fit with the side walls of a cable, a bolt passing through said eye, and a pair of clamping members slidably mounted on said bolt, each of said clamping members having a frusto-conical surface engaging the wall 0f the eye opposite to said groove, and each of said clamping members having laterally projecting ridges engaging on the opposite sides of the cable, said ridges being separated by a curved groove in each of said clamping members for engaging the cable.

DAVID C. HUBBARD. 

